Device for depositing bobbins and the like into a collecting magazine



Oct. 24, 1961 E. DIETIKER DEVICE FOR DEPOSITING BOBBINS AND THE LIKE mo A COLLECTING MAGAZINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1960 INVENTOR. RA T DIe'n BY {MW ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1961 E. DIETIKER 3,005,299

DEVICE FOR DEPOSITING BOBBINS AND THE LIKE INTO A COLLECTING MAGAZINE Filed May 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.

Em sr air/KER BY M/Mm The present invention relates generally to a novel device for transferring articles and the like into a suitable collecting magazine, and more specifically, to an apparatus for depositing and packaging bobbins and the like received from a bobbin winder in a collecting magazine in a controlled manner to thereby simultaneously ensure effective utilization of the available packaging area Without damaging the bobbins. It is, of course, to be understood that while the invention is described with reference to the depositing and transfer of bobbins, the device of the present invention is readily adaptable for use with other articles.

While employing the known processes of filling and depositing wound bobbins from a supply chamber disposed above a collecting magazine, the bobbins oftentimes fall into said collecting magazine in an uncontrollable manner and thus are subjected to jaring and other undesirable impact forces. Moreover, there is attendant an ineffectual employment of the available packaging space when such bobbins are deposited within the collecting magazine in a disorderly and uncontrolled manner.

There are known devices in the prior art which place the bobbins into a collecting magazine by means of a bobbin depositing member. With these devices, however, it is quite possible that the bobbins will be so deposited that pyramiding results and thus prevents eflicient acquisition and utilization of the available packaging space provided for the bobbins by the collecting magazine. Accordingly, with the devices heretofore mentioned and known in the art the individual bobbins very often randomly arranged within the collecting magazine, as for example in obliquely disposed stack formation, thereby hampering the depositing and packaging of said bobbins in said collecting magazine.

In accordance with the present invention and with the view of obviating these aforementioned disadvantages, there is provided an apparatus constituted by a pair of spaced rotatable pulleys around each of which is wound a flexible band member, which in their extended position serve to guide and define a passageway for movement of bobbins therebetween. At the lower extremity of the respective band members there are provided pivotal plate elements arranged to form a substantially wedge-shaped bobbin receiving means. A suitable drive mechanism associated with the rotatable pulleys causes raising and lowering of the bobbin receiving means into and out of a collecting magazine in accordance with the workings of a bobbin winder. The bobbin receiving mechanism due to the flexible band members is laterally shiftable so that the wedge-shaped plates upon contact with bobbins previously deposited within the collecting magazine will be oriented therein at a location suited for receiving further bobbins. Thus, after the bobbin receiving means have been properly positioned within the collecting magazine a bobbin is released from a suitable supply chamber'and deposited in the receiving means. The laterally shiftable tes stem band members serve to guide and break the fall of the freely accelerating bobbins. Thereafter, the pulleys are rotated so as to again wind the band members therearound and, as a result of the raising of the receiving means any bobbin previously deposited therein will drop exteriorly therefrom under the influence of its own weight by pivoting the plate elements defining the wedge-shaped surfaces into their open position. The tapered or Wedge-shaped surfaces of the receiving means upon contact with the surfaces of the bobbins previously deposited in the collecting magazine will cause lateral deflection of said receiving means into a location ready for receiving further bobbins from the supply chamber.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel material handling apparatus capable of transferring and depositing articles in a collecting magazine in a safe and reliable manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for positioning a bobbin receiving means in a suitable container prior to transfer of bobbins and the like thereto, whereby the available packaging space is effectively utilized and the bobbins are handled in a safe and reliable manner.

It is still another important object of the present invention to provide means enabling articles to be transferred from a supply depot into a collecting magazine only after an article receiving means has been properly oriented within said collecting magazine.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of safely and reliably handling articles and the like while simultaneously making the most eflicient use of the available packaging space for such articles.

Still further objects, features and advantages, and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a front view of the bobbin receiving means, its supply chamber and an associated collecting magazine pursuant to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 1, and further schematically illustrates a bobbin winder and associated control mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a device similar to that shown in FIGURE 1 but illustrating a modification of the receiving means.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is provided a suitable housing or frame structure 19 supporting a shaft ta which carries a stationary bobbin collecting plate 1 adapted to receive bobbins previously wound by a winder W of an associated textile machine. The collecting plate 1 is slightly sloped in a downward direction for the purpose of facilitating the advance of bobbins therefrom. A bobbin retaining gate 2 encompasses the collecting plate 1 in order to en-' sure that any bobbins 4 received by the collecting plate 1 will not be related therefrom prematurely. The retaining gate 2 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 1a and is provided with one end portion 2a which is cooperable with an actuating rod 3 capable of moving in a downward direction in accordance with the operation of control mechanism C associated with the bobbin winder W in order to rotate the retaining gate 2 in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow B, thereby permitting removal of bobbins from said collecting plate 1. Consequently, when the bobbins 4 in the winder are changed they will individually and in a controlled manner fall onto the collecting plate 1. Thereafter, upon downward displacement of the actuating rod 3, which in turn is itself operat-ively connected to la bobbin winder, the retaining gate 2 will be pivoted in such a manner as to permit the bobbin 4 to fall freely into a bobbin filling or receiving means A disposed below the collecting plate l and retaining. gate 2 which define a supply chamberlb for the bobbins 4.

The frame 19 further supports a pair of parallelly spac shafts 17 nd 18,- ac of whichr ta ab y supp pulley members 7 and 8, respectively. Wound around each respective pulley member 7 and 8 are a pair of flexibleband members 5 aud o, the lower or free ends thereof being interconnected by a suitable cross-member or frame 9 so that the inner diameter of the passageway defined by the band members 5 and 6 is substantially the same a or sm lle han, e. di tance between theband 5 and 6 ang n-the Pul r m m er a 8- Th pulleys 7 and 8 are spaced at a distance from ne another which is of amagnitude somewhat greater than the diameter-of the thickest wound bobbin to ensure unobstructed transfer of bobbins 4 from the supply chamberlb and than between the spacing ofthe pulleys 7 and 8. As areo t e pre mi ed p i g of t pulley m mbers 7 and 8 and said band members 5 and 6 carried therepn,-the bobbins v4 will orient themselves within the bobbin receiving means A insuch a manner that they always be deposited within a collecting magazine 50 such that the longitudinal axis-of said bobbinsd will be substantially parallel.

At the extremities ofthe cross-member or frame there are provided diametrically opposed and'axially aligned eyelets 10 whichpivotally support a pair of plate members 12 provided with end wall portions 12a by means of a. shaft 11. The plate members 12 are angularly arranged with respect to a horizontal plane and contact on another during their closed position at their lower extremities. The converging efiect attributed to the plate members 12 define a substantially triangular or wedgeshaped receptacle adapted to receive and retain therein bobbins 4 when transferred thereto from said bobbin supply chamber 1b. The end wall portions 12a of each individual plate 12 are interconnected bymeans of a suitable bar 13 which is designed to serve as a counterweight to facilitate rotation of the plates 12 into their closed position. It should be of course apparent that other suitable means may be employed for closing of the plates 12, as for example by means of springs. Thus, the flexible band members 5 and 6 together with the frame 9 and plates 12 define a bobbin filling or receiving means A readily suitable for transferring and depositing bobbins and other articles from a supply chamber 1b to a point remote therefrom, as for example, into a collecting magazine 30.

For the purpose of balancing the bobbin receiving means A there may be employed a counterweight 14 which is supported on a pulley rope is attached to a pulley 16 carried by the shaft 1? and cooperable with the pulley 8. A pair of meshing gears 20 of identical size to provide uniform raising and lowering of the bobbin receiving means A are respectively keyed to the shafts l7 and 18 supported by the frame 19. The shaft 17 addit-ionally supports a friction clutch mechanism 21a, one faceplate 21 thereof being rigidly secured to the shaft 17 whereas the other face plate 22 is mounted so as to be axially displaceable and freely rotatable on said shaft 17. The clutch face 22 may be continuously driven through the intermediary of a suitable belt drive 23 or by any 4 other conventional drive means, as for example by means of a gear train.

Thus, during the bobbin changing process accomplished by the winder W, the friction clutch 21a which drives the shaft 17 is disengaged through the intermediary of a rod 31 in. registry with said friction clutch 21a and actuated by said control mechanism C as denoted by the dotted lines Tilt of FIG. 2, in a known manner, whereby the bobbin receiving means A will fall freely under the influence of their own weight into the collecting magazine 30. The bobbin receiving means is now in a position to properly and safely receive bobbins 4 from the supply chamber 1!). The rate of acceleration of said bobbin receivingmeans A being controlled by means of the counterwe ight 14 or alternatively by means of a suitable spring. The control mechanism C of the bobbin winder W then causes actuation of the actuating rod 3 which will rotate the retaining gate 2 to free a bobbin 4 which will be gravity fed down into the previously positioned bobbin receiving means A in a Safe-and reliable manner. The

flexible band members 5 and ,6 in their extended position define wall portions to provide a passageway or channel for guiding the bobbins 4 down towards the plate members 12, which plate members preferably have a-shock absorbing property. Upon receipt of a bobbin 4 from the -supply chamber 1b, the friction clutch 21a is engaged anddrives the shaft 17 in the direction of the arrow. Consequently, the band members 5 and 6 will now be wound around the pulleys 7 and 8 thereby raising the bobbin ftweiving means A. As a result, the bobbin 4 at the outset of the raising of the bobbin receiving means will open the plates 12 under the influence of its own weight so that said bobbin. 4 will be properly positioned within the :collectingmagazine 30.

During the initial depositing of bobbins into the collecting-magazine 30 the bobbin receiving means A will tend to extend substantially vertically into the collecting magazine 30 so that the bobbins will tend to collect in the vicinity directly below the confines of the pulleys 7 and 8. After a numberof bobbins 4 have been deposited in the magazine 30 a stack formation will tend to form. However, due to the triangular or wedgedshaped-contour of the plates 12 of the receiving means A the latter will be deflected laterally, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 1, into the lower region of the stacked or pyramided bobbins so as to fill up the empty portions of the collecting magazine without subjecting the bobbins-to undue impact. Thus, the bobbin receiving means A will always be advantageously positioned within the collecting magazine 30 prior to receiving the bobbins 4 from thesupply chamber 1b. The transfer of bobbins into a bobbin receiving means A previously positioned ensures that the bobbins will not tend to accumulate irregularly in the collecting magazine 30 and, additionally, prevents said bobbins from assuming undesirable locations within the magazine and damaging one another through impact. In this manner a most efiicient utilization of all available packaging space provided by the collecting magazine 30 can be'achieved while simultaneously providing a safe and reliable transfer of the articles to be packaged.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a further modification of the plate structure 12 of the bobbin receiving means A. Here, there is similarly provided a frame 19 which supports a bobbin collecting plate 1 supported on a shaft 1a carried by said frame 19. The structure and arrangement of the retaining gate 2, pulleys 7 and 8 and band members 5 and 6 is substantially similar to that previously described with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, like referencenumerals denoting the similar structure. "The plates 12, however, are provided on their outer face 12d with a bank or group of freely rotatable casters or rollers 12b which are supported by the flexed edges 12c appearingon the underside of the plates 12. These rollers 12b serve to facilitate lateral displacement of the bobbin receiving means A within the collecting magazine30 during contact with one or more bobbins 4 disposed within said magazine. It is further possible in order to avoid accumulation of bobbins in one specific area when packaging the same in relatively long collecting magazines to displace said magazines into different lateral positions by mounting the same on suitable conveying means 32. In this manner the collecting magazine 30 may be laterally shifted in the direction of its length into a new position to permit access of said bobbin receiving means thereto.

Having thus described my invention what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for depositing wound bobbins and the like from a supply chamber into a collecting magazine; the combination comprising laterally displaceable bobbin receiving means including flexible and extendable band means adapted to guide the transfer of bobbins between a supply chamber and a collecting magazine in a controlled manner, means in registry with said bobbin receiving means for raising and lowering said flexible and extendable band means of said bobbin receiving means, said means lowering said bobbin receiving means prior to receiving bobbins and raising said bobbin receiving means when the latter contains at least one bobbin.

2. In a device for depositing wound bobbins and the like from a supply chamber into a collecting magazine; the combination comprising displaceable bobbin receiving means adapted to guide the transfer of bobbins between a supply chamber and a collecting magazine in a controlled manner, said bobbin receiving means including pivotal plate members defining a substantially wedgeshaped member adapted to be laterally displaced upon contact of an external face of said plate members with bobbins previously deposited in a collecting magazine, and means in registry with said bobbin receiving means for raising and lowering said bobbin receiving means, said means lowering said bobbin receiving means prior to receiving bobbins and raising said bobbin receiving means when the latter contains at least one bobbin.

3. In a device for depositing wound bobbins and the like from a supply chamber into a collecting magazine; the combination of laterally displaceable bobbin receiving means adapted to guide the transfer of bobbins between a supply chamber and a collecting magazine in a controlled manner, spaced pulley means disposed above said bobbin receiving means; said bobbin receiving means including a pair of flexible band members each having one end respectively secured to said spaced pulley means, angularly disposed plate members carried at the other end of said flexible band members and pivotally mounted thereon to define in a closed position a substantially wedge-shaped member adapted to be laterally displaced within a collecting magazine during contract with bobbins contained therein; and means in registry with said bobbin receiving means for raising and lowering said bobbin receiving means, said flexible band members during lowering of said bobbin receiving means being in extended position to define a passageway for bobbins in the direction of said angularly disposed plate members.

4. In a device for depositing bobbins and the like from a supply chamber into a collecting magazine; the combination of laterally displaceable bobbin receiving means adapted to guide the transfer of bobbins between a supply chamber and a collecting magazine in a controlled manner, spaced pulley means disposed adjacent said bobbin receiving means; said bobbin receiving means including a pair of flexible band members each having one end connected to a respective pulley of said pulley means, frame means interconnecting the opposite ends of said flexible band members, angularly arranged plate members pivotally mounted on said frame means to define a substantially wedge-shaped member adapted to be laterally displaced within a collecting magazine during contact with bobbins contained therein; and means in registry with said bobbin receiving means for raising and lowering said'bobbin receiving means, said flexible band members during lowering of said bobbin receiving means being in an extended position to define a passageway for transfer of bobbins in the direction of said angularly disposed plate members.

5. In a device according to claim 4, wherein said flexible band members are spaced from one another at a predetermined distance, so that bobbins transferred in the direction of said angularly disposed plate members will be oriented therein such that the axes' of said bobbins will always be substantially disposed in a common plane.

6. In a device according to claim 3, said raising and lowering means including a clutch mechanism in registry with at least one of said spaced pulley means, clutch engaging and disengaging means cooperable with said clutch mechanism, said bobbin receiving means being lowered into said extended band position under the influence of its own weight during disengagement of said clutch mechanism.

7. In a device according to claim 6, said raising and lowering means further including a counterweight cooperable with one of said spaced pulley means controlling the acceleration of said bobbin receiving means during the lowering thereof and a drive mechanism in registry with said pulley means for raising said bobbin receiving means during engagement of said clutch mechanism.

8. In a device according to claim 2, said plate members being further provided on said external face with roller means facilitating lateral displacement of said bobbin receiving means.

9. In a device according to claim 2, wherein said plate members defining said substantially wedge-shaped member extend angularly downwardly in converging relationship during closed position thereof, said plate members pivoting away from one another during opening thereof under the influence of the weight of a bobbin when received by said wedge-shaped member.

10. A device for receiving bobbins and the like from a supply chamber and depositing the same into a collecting magazine; comprising displaceable bobbin receiving means provided with flexible and extendable band members to define a laterally shiftable passageway adapted to guide the transfer of bobbins from a supply chamber, a collecting magazine disposed below said bobbin receiving means for deposit of bobbins therein, means in registry with said bobbin receiving means for extending the latter interiorly and exteriorly of said collecting magazine, said means extending said band members of said bobbin receiving means interiorly of said collecting magazine prior to receiving bobbins and withdrawing said bobbin receiving means exteriorly of said collecting magazine when said bobbin receiving means contains at least one bobbin.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein conveying means are provided in registry with said collecting magazine for displacing said collecting magazine relative to said bobbin receiving means to permit further access of said bobbin receiving means into said collecting magazine in a region previously inaccessable.

12. A device for handling articles and the like comprising a supply chamber adapted to receive a supply of articles, a collecting magazine disposed below said supply chamber adapted to contain said supply of articles, article receiving means interposed between said supply chamber and said collecting magazine and provided with flexible and extendable band members defining a laterally shiftable passageway for guiding the transfer of said articles between said supply chamber and said collecting magazine in a controlled manner, means in registry with said article receiving means for extending the latter -interiorly and exteriorly of said collecting magazine, said means extending said band members of said article receiving means interiorly of said collecting magazine prior to receipt of articles from said supply chamber and withdrawing said article receiving means exteriorly of said receiving means is provided with; converging-plate memberssupported by said band members to define asubstantiallywedge-shaped membergsaid article receiving means during initial operation extending'substantially directly below said supply chamber into said --eollecting 'magazineto-initially stack said articles during transfer thereof into said cpllecting magazine, said'wedge-shaped 10 lg member duringsubsequent operation'contacting said stack of articles-andbeing laterally deflected therebyto assume a position Within said collecting-magazine permitting further receipt-of articles therein.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

